17th Mar2019

Girl (Film)

by timbaros
02_girl_-kris-dewitte‘Girl’ is the story of a 15-year old boy who feels like he was born in the wrong body.
In an amazing turn by newcomer Victor Polster who plays the lead Lara,  ‘Girl’ takes us on a journey of a young boy desperately wanting to rush his hormone treatment to become a girl. But Lara also has a yearning to be a ballerina, and the pressures of being born in the wrong body to be able to fulfil her dream is the challenge that Lara may or not make it through. She lives in a apartment with her taxi-driving father and much younger brother, and suffers with the usuals pressures of school, including not being able to disrobe in the locker room. But first-time director Lukas Dhont draws us into Lara’s life by focusing the entire movie on her – we see and feel her emotions, the anxiety, fear, and at times happiness about the huge change that is going to take place in her life. And Polster is just simply amazing as Lara. ‘Girl’ has won lots of awards, including the Un Certain Regard prize at Cannes last year, along with an award for Best Performance for Polster. ‘Girl’ also won Best Feature Film at the London Film Festival. 
 
‘Girl’ is not a perfect movie. There are lots of scenes of Lara while she is in ballet practice, and we are shown Lara’s bloodied toes from the rigorous training way too many times, and the ending comes as a bit of a shock, and is quite controversial. But see ‘ Girl’ for the story (written by Dhont and Angelo Tijssens) and the amazing performance by Polster.
UK release date – 15th March
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04th Mar2019

A Private War (Film)

by timbaros

Rosamund Pike as journalist Marie Colvin in 'A Private War' copyRosamund Pike is perfect as war journalist Marie Colvin in the new film ‘A Private War.’

Pike is just so good in this film, bringing Colvin to life on the big screen, that it’s quite a shock that she has not been nominated for any of the major acting awards for this film. Sure, Olivia Colman was very good as Anne, Queen of Britian in ‘The Favourite’ while Glenn Close was memorable in ‘The Wife,’ but Pike, in my opinion, had more of a challenging role playing a woman in a man’s industry. Colvin, who was an American war journalist, worked as a foreign affairs correspondent for the British newspaper The Sunday Times. She was always determined to get the story, whether her work took her to Syria, Iraq, or Libya (where she famously interviewed Muammar Gaddafi). Even after she lost her left eye in a blast in Sri Lanka she never gave up, and the black eye patch she wore distinguished her from all of the other war journalists.
First time feature film director Matthew Heineman brilliantly brings her story to the big screen, and Pike really nails it. Along with her photographer Paul Conroy (played by British heartthrob Jamie Dornan), we see Colvin trying to get the story, while leaving the safe confines of her homely Hammersmith terrace house for the dirty and dangerous battlegrounds and war fields of the middle east. We follow her, and Conroy, avoiding bullets and missiles, putting their lives at risk.
Based on the Vanity Fair article “Marie Colvin’s Private War,” this biographical film follows Colvin to her final assignment in Homs, Syria, where she was killed during a siege, at the age of 56. Pike is just simply amazing as Colvin. 
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09th Feb2019

Can You Ever Forgive Me (Film)

by timbaros
can-you-ever-forgive-meMelissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant give excellent performances in ‘Can You Ever Forgive Me.’
Based on the life of book author Lee Israel, and fluidly directed by Marielle Heller, ‘Can you Ever Forgive Me’ and based on the late Israel’s memoir, the film tells about the misadventures of Israel’s life. She was a Manhattanite who didn’t have much money to rub together, so she starts forging manuscripts and books by very famous authors and then sell them to collector, raking in big money. Questions start arising about her charade, and soon enough she has to pull back, and then enlists her gay best friend Jack (Richard E. Grant – in his best performance ever) to take over her sales duties to pawn more fakes to the collectors. It’s early 1990’s New York City, and one gets the feeling that anything can happen (if you can make it there you can make it anywhere), and that Israel will rise above it all, but in the end we know what is coming. But before, we director Heller (working from a screenplay by Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty) perfectly sets the mood and vibe of New York, with bookshops almost at every corner (long gong now no thanks to the internet). Yes, we can definitely forgive Israel for what she’s one, because it brought this fine movie. McCarthy and Grant have been nominated for Oscars, let’s hope that if anyone of them wins, it will be Grant. He is just superb in his role, debonair, chilled, and just a fine wine, is getting better with age.
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05th Feb2019

Green Book (Film)

by timbaros
green-bookWhy is a film called ‘Green Book’? Because it deals with race and black and white relations of America in the early 1960’s.

A Green Book, was specifically, a guidebook printed for African-American motorists traveling in America’s south with recommendations on places to stay and eat where they won’t get discriminated against. Jazz pianist Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) takes this book with him after he hires racist bigoted Italian Frank ‘Tony Lip’ Vallelonga (an excellent Viggo Mortensen) to be his driver on a two month concert tour. The nightclub where Frank worked had shut down so he was in need of a job, perhaps any job, to support his loving wife and two young sons. So Frank packs away his racist views and becames a sort of ‘Driving Mr. Daisy.’

Of course nothing goes smoothly during the tour, especially when Shirley misbehaves with another man at a YMCA, with Frank left to pick up the pieces, and realizing then that this is why Shirley’s marriage to a woman never worked out. And Frank also introduces Shirley to the simple pleasures of life that he is missing, including eating fried chicken with his hand (something evidently that, hard to believe, Shirley never did). And after two hours we can see where this film is literally taking us, and what will happen between these two men during the trip. 

‘Green Book’ is a true story, and directed by a subdued Peter Farrelly (‘There’s Something About Mary,’ ‘Dumb and Dumber’) it’s as slow as molasses on a hot day – but Mortensen lightens up the screen in every scene he is in – he’s fantastic and is the take away of this film. Ali, while good, seems a bit stiff throughout, and I don’t understand why he is winning all the awards (Richard E. Grant is so much better in ‘Can You Ever Forgive Me.’) Nevertheless, ‘Green Book’ is a good study in race relations in America in that time when JFK was President and Marilyn Monroe was the star of the moment. 
Reviews by Tim Baros
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27th Jan2019

Beautiful Boy (Film)

by timbaros
46089019_2077818765608990_3714092459777589248_nA film that you will like better is also released this week. ‘Beautiful Boy’ – based on books by father and son David and Nic Sheff – details Nic’s valiant struggle with drug addiction during his teenage years. Steve Carell plays David while Timothée Chamalet plays Nic in a film that is very emotional and a bit hard to sit through at times as it deals with the strain on the father and the damage it does to Nic in his battle to beat his addiction. Nic is in and out of rehab several times, and goes missing quite a bit, while David is struggling, emotionally, physically and financially, to deal with his oldest son’s problem while trying to raise a new family with two young children with his second wife, played Maura Tierney. Amy Ryan beautifully plays his first wife and mother to Nic. ‘Beautiful Boy’ – two hours long – is sharply directed (Felix Van Groeningen) and written (Van Groeningen and Luke Davies – ‘Lion’) with performances that are award worthy. Carell continues to excel in dramatic roles (he was superb in ‘Foxcatcher’ and memorable in ‘Battle of the Sexes’) and again is very good in this highly dramatic role. But it’s going to be Chamalet who will receive all the plaundits and awards he gets for this film. Chamalet was well-received in last year’s creepy ‘Call Me By Your Name,’ but here in ‘Beautiful Boy’ he proves that he is a force to be reckoned with. He can act, and he can act very well, and he is suited to follow in the footsteps of DiCaprio and perhaps DeNiro in a career with longevity and awards on his mantel.
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27th Jan2019

Glass (Film)

by timbaros
49864153_2284284135162879_427353652588445696_nDirector M. Night Shyamalan had a huge hit with one of his first films ‘The Sixth Sense’, about a young boy who sees dead people. He’s now back a film with another supernatural theme called ‘Glass.’
Shyamalan has yet to repeat the success of ‘The Sixth Sense.’ He is very consistent in coming out with a film every two years or so, but the quality of his films seems to be getting worse and worse. ‘Glass’ is the third (and hopefully last) film in the fictitious Eastrail #177 train derailment series. The series, which includes the 2000 film ‘Unbreakable’ and the 2016 film ‘Split, is where multiple characters have some sort of connection to the train disaster. But these characters are not normal people – they are superheroes with powers that they use for reasons that have never really been clear to me. In ‘Glass’, which mostly takes place in a mental institution conveniently overlooking downtown Philadelphia, reunites Bruce Willis, James McAvoy and Samuel Jackson as the same characters from the previous films. Irrelevant of the plots of the first two films, ‘Glass’ is as silly and unbelievable as anything you would’ve seen at the cinema in years. All the characters wind up in the same mental institution, coincidentally, where there is not much staff on duty and the three of them seem to have free reign of the place. A psychiatrist (a dismal Sarah Paulson) wants to convince all the men that they suffer from delusion (which is far far from the truth – can’t she see this?). Each of the men have, conveniently, one person who comes to visit them – all with some knowledge of their ‘illness.’ It all boils down to one messy showdown in the front parking lot of the institution and the view of the opening of a new downtown skyscraper which is talked about during the film quite a lot but doesn’t seem to have any connection at all to the characters. It’s all one big silly mess, and the people I saw it with (fellow film critics) shook their head as they walked out of the cinema. Avoid this one please.
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20th Jan2019

GALECA Award Winners announced (Film)

by timbaros
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GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics
Name 10th Dorian Award Winners
 
Dorian Awards 10 logo.png
 
Tuesday, January 8, 2019 (Hollywood, CA)  GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics, comprised of over 200 gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and ally entertainment journalists in the U.S., Canada, Australia and U.K., has announced its 10th Dorian Award winners across 26 TV and film categories. Select GALECA winners and nominees will be celebrated at the group’s freewheeling Winners Toast this Saturday, January 12, an invitation-only party at the Paley restaurant in Hollywood’s historic Columbia Square. Frank DeCaro, of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and SiriusXM’s The Frank DeCaro Show fame, will be the master of ceremonies. 
 
The Favourite lived up to its title with GALECA’s Dorian Award voters, who named the cheeky historical romp Film of the Year and bestowed its star, Olivia Colman, with the Film Performance of the Year—Actress tiara for her biting turn as Queen Anne. The sumptuous movie treat also scored Screenplay of the Year honors for Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara. 
 
Alfonso Cuarón, writer and helmer of Roma, the drama of a privileged family and their tragedy-stricken maid in 1970s Mexico City, was chosen Director of the Year, while the film itself was deemed the Foreign Language Film of the Year. Ethan Hawke took Film Performance of the Year—Actor for his work as a priest on the verge of madness in director Paul Schrader’s First Reformed. In supporting film performance categories, the winners were Regina King for If Beale Street Could Talk and Richard E. Grant for Can You Ever Forgive Me? The latter film, the fact-based dark comedy about a struggling New York writer who turns to forgery, was named GALECA’s Dorian Award winner for LGBTQ Film of the Year. 
 
In documentary categories, the biographical tributes Won’t You Be My Neighbor? and McQueen proved triumphant. As for GALECA’s unique category winners: The sci-fi hit Annihilation struck as Visually Striking Film of the Year; the female heist thriller Widows rallied as Unsung Film of the Year; and A Simple Favor, an outrageous mystery starring Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick, nabbed the Society’s affectionate Campy Flick of the Year honor. 
 
Over on the TV side, FX’s Pose and Pop’s Schitt’s Creek both scored big with GALECA members. Pose—a drama set against the lively streets of New York City circa 1979—stood as TV Drama of the Year and LGBTQ Drama of the Year, also also helped its producer, Ryan Murphy, to his second Dorian Award win for Wilde Artist of the Year (Murphy is the first person to win this title twice in GALECA’s 10-year history). Pose’s star, Billy Porter, took two Dorians—one for TV Performance of the Year—Actor and a shared win with his costars MJ Rodriguez and Our Lady J for their moving rendition of “Home” on the series. 
 
Creek meanwhile, took TV Comedy of the Year as well as Unsung TV Comedy. Full Frontal With Samantha Bee impressed as TV Current Affairs Show of the Year for the third year in a row. Campy TV Show champ: RuPaul’s Drag Race. 
 
Awkwafina, the rapper turned breakout star of the hit comedy film Crazy Rich Asians, was crowned GALECA’s “We’re Wilde About You!” Rising Star. Fresh-faced Australian comic Hannah Gadsby, who made a mark with her own well-received Netflix special last year, was named Wilde Wit of the Year. 
 
Harvey Fierstein was the group’s latest choice for Timeless Star, the group’s career achievement award. Previous recipients include Jane Fonda, Dame Angela Lansbury and Sir Ian McKellen. 
 
GALECA, The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics, previously known as the Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, includes members who review, write and/or report on film and television for a diverse number of media outlets, including BuzzFeed, The Daily Beast, Entertainment Weekly, TV Guide, The Advocate, CNN, the Associated Press, People, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Collider, Vanity Fair, Screen Crush, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, New Now Next, The Guardian and the BBC. For more information, visit GALECA.org. Also find us at #DorianAwards, and enjoy our posts via @DorianAwards on Facebook • Twitter • Instagram
 
GALECA 2018/19 DORIAN AWARDS 
 
WINNERS IN CAPS * 
 
Film of the Year
Can You Ever Forgive Me?
THE FAVOURITE * (FOX SEARCHLIGHT)
If Beale Street Could Talk
Roma
A Star is Born
Director of the Year
(Film or Television)
ALFONSO CUARÓN, ROMA * (NETFLIX)
Marielle Heller, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Barry Jenkins, If Beale Street Could Talk
Yorgos Lanthimos, The Favourite
Spike Lee, Blackkklansman
Film Performance of the Year — Actress
Yalitza Aparicio, Roma
Toni Collette, Hereditary
OLIVIA COLMAN, THE FAVOURITE * (FOX SEARCHLIGHT)
Lady Gaga, A Star is Born
Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Film Performance of the Year — Actor
Christian Bale, Vice
Bradley Cooper, A Star is Born
ETHAN HAWKE, FIRST REFORMED * (A24)
Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody
John David Washington, Blackkklansman
Film Performance of the Year — Supporting Actress
Elizabeth Debicki, Widows
REGINA KING, IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK * (ANNAPURNA PICTURES)
Emma Stone, The Favourite
Rachel Weisz, The Favourite
Michelle Yeoh, Crazy Rich Asians
Film Performance of the Year — Supporting Actor
Mahershala Ali, Green Book
Timothée Chalamet, Beautiful Boy
Sam Elliott, A Star is Born
RICHARD E. GRANT, CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME? * (FOX SEARCHLIGHT)
Michael B. Jordan, Black Panther

 

LGBTQ Film of the Year ***
Boy Erased
CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME? * (FOX SEARCHLIGHT)
Disobedience
The Favourite
Love, Simon
Foreign Language Film of the Year
Burning
Capernaum
Cold War
ROMA * (NETFLIX)
Shoplifters
Screenplay of the Year
Bo Burnham, Eighth Grade
Alfonso Cuarón, Roma
DEBORAH DAVIS AND TONY MCNAMARA, THE FAVOURITE * (FOX SEARCHLIGHT)
Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty, Can You Ever Forgive Me? 
Barry Jenkins, If Beale Street Could Talk
 
Documentary of the Year
Free Solo
RBG
Shirkers
Three Identical Strangers
WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? * (FOCUS FEATURES)

 

LGBTQ Documentary of the Year
The Gospel According to Andre
MCQUEEN * (BLEECKER STREET MEDIA)
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood
Studio 54
Whitney
Visually Striking Film of the Year
ANNIHILATION * (PARAMOUNT)
Black Panther
The Favourite
If Beale Street Could Talk
Roma
Unsung Film of the Year
Colette
Disobedience
The Happy Prince
Tully
We the Animals
WIDOWS * (20TH CENTURY FOX)
Campy Flick of the Year
Aquaman
Book Club
Mama Mia! Here We Go Again
A SIMPLE FAVOR * (LIONSGATE)
Suspiria
TV Drama of the Year
American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace
The Handmaid’s Tale
Homecoming
Killing Eve
POSE * (FX)

 

TV Comedy of the Year
Barry
GLOW
The Good Place
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
SCHITT’S CREEK * (POP)

 

TV Performance of the Year — Actor
Darren Criss, American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace
HUGH GRANT, A VERY ENGLISH SCANDAL
BILLY PORTER, POSE * (FX)
MATTHEW RHYS, THE AMERICANS
BEN WHISHAW, A VERY ENGLISH SCANDAL

 

TV Performance of the Year — Actress
Amy Adams, Sharp Objects
Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Jodie Comer, Killing Eve
SANDRA OH, KILLING EVE * (BBC AMERICA)
Julia Roberts, Homecoming
 
LGBTQ TV Show of the Year 
A Very English Scandal
American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace
Killing Eve
POSE * (FX)
Queer Eye
 
Unsung TV Show of the Year ***
The Bisexual 
Dear White People
The Good Fight
One Day at a Time
SCHITT’S CREEK * (POP)
 
TV Current Affairs Show of the Year
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
FULL FRONTAL WITH SAMANTHA BEE * (TBS)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
The Rachel Maddow Show
TV Musical Performance of the Year
Adam Lambert, “Believe,” 41st Kennedy Center Honors
BILLY PORTER, MJ RODRIGUEZ AND OUR LADY J, “HOME”, POSE * (FX)
Noah Reid, “Simply the Best,” Schitt’s Creek
Keala Settle, “This is Me,” 90th Academy Awards
Sufjan Stevens, “Mystery of Love,” 90th Academy Awards
Campy TV Show of the Year
American Horror Story: Apocalypse
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Queer Eye
Riverdale
RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE * (VH1, LOGO)
The “We’re Wilde About You!” Rising Star Award
AWKWAFINA *
Elsie Fisher
Henry Golding
Indya Moore
MJ Rodriguez
Wilde Wit of the Year
(Honoring a performer, writer or commentator whose observations both challenge and amuse)
Samantha Bee
HANNAH GADSBY *
Kate McKinnon
John Oliver
Michelle Wolf
Wilde Artist of the Year
(Honoring a truly groundbreaking force in film, stage and/or television)
Bradley Cooper
Hannah Gadsby
Lady Gaga
Nicole Kidman
RYAN MURPHY *
 
Timeless Star
(Given to an actor or performer whose exemplary career is marked by character, wisdom and wit)
HARVEY FIERSTEIN
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20th Jan2019

Song for Nobodies (Theatre)

by timbaros
Version 2‘Songs for Nobodies’ is actually songs for everybody in a new one-woman show now playing in the West End.
Australian Bernadette Robinson treats the audience to her ability of being able to sing, uncanningly, like several very famous female singers. But before we get to hear her sing the five voices included in this show Robinson sets up by five fictional characters who each come in contact with each singer. Before she sings the fabulous ‘Come Rain or Come Shine’ by Judy Garland, Robinsons’ character is Bea Appleton, a bathroom attendant at the Plaza Athénée on the night of Garland’s famous Carnegie Hall appearance. Robinson as Appleton goes on to tell the story of their fictional encounter and then breaks out into song. And the same goes for when Robinson sings Patsy Cline’s beautiful ‘Crazy.’ Robinson is now an usher in Kansas City and meets Cline in her dressing Room. Similar monologues set her up singing as Billie Holiday and Maria Callas, but it’s Robinson singing Edith Piaf’s ’Non, Je ne Regrette Rien’ that brings down the house.
But for a 90 minute show with no interval, there are a mere 9 songs sung. It’s a shame that Robinson’s speaking voice and not her singing voice encompasses most of the show. It’s a very beautiful singing voice, especially in such an intimate venue as the Ambassadors Theatre. ’Songs for Nobodies’, written by Joanna Murray-Smith, (and named as such because of the characters Robinson plays as opposed to the characters she performs as), is a show starring a woman with a special voice that’s a gift, and is now playing only up until February 23, 2019.
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12th Jan2019

BAFTA Film Award Nominations (Film)

by timbaros
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NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED:
EE BRITISH ACADEMY FILM AWARDS
 The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has announced the nominations for the EE British Academy Film Awards in 2019.
The Favourite is nominated in 12 categories. Bohemian Rhapsody, First Man, Roma and A Star Is Born each have seven nominations; Vice has six, BlacKkKlansman has five, and Cold War and Green Book have four each. Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Mary Poppins Returns, Mary Queen of Scots and Stan & Ollie have three nominations each.
The Favourite is nominated for Best Film, Outstanding British Film, Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Production Design, Costume Design, Make Up & Hair, Editing and Yorgos Lanthimos for Director. Olivia Colman is nominated for Leading Actress for her role as Queen Anne, and Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone are both nominated for Supporting Actress.
Roma is nominated for Best Film, Film Not in the English Language, Director, Original Screenplay, Cinematography, and Editing. Alfonso Cuarón is nominated in all of these categories. The film is also nominated for Production Design.
A Star Is Born is nominated in seven categories; Leading Actor, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Original Music, Sound, Best Film and Leading Actress for Lady Gaga. Bradley Cooper is nominated for five of these categories.
Bohemian Rhapsody receives nominations for Outstanding British Film, Cinematography, Editing, Sound, Costume Design, and Make Up & Hair, as well as Leading Actor for Rami Malek for his role as Freddie Mercury.
First Man receives nominations for Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing, Production Design, Sound, and Special Visual Effects, as well as Supporting Actress for Claire Foy.
Vice has three performance nominees: Christian Bale in Leading Actor for his role as former US Vice President Dick Cheney, with Amy Adams and Sam Rockwell in the supporting categories for their roles as Lynne Cheney and George W. Bush. The film is also nominated for Original Screenplay, Editing, and Make Up & Hair.
Spike Lee is nominated for Director and Adapted Screenplay for BlacKkKlansman, which is also nominated for Best Film, Original Music and Supporting Actor for Adam Driver.
Viggo Mortensen is nominated for Leading Actor and Mahershala Ali for Supporting Actorfor their roles in Green Book. The film is also nominated for Best Film and Original Screenplay.
Cold War is nominated for Film Not in the English Language, Original Screenplay and Cinematography, with a further nomination for Paweł Pawlikowski as Director.
Mary Poppins Returns receives nominations for Original Music, Production Design andCostume Design.
Steve Coogan is nominated for his role as Stan Laurel in Stan & Ollie, which is also nominated for Outstanding British Film and Make Up & Hair.
Can You Ever Forgive Me? is nominated for Adapted Screenplay. Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant are nominated for Leading Actress and Supporting Actor respectively.
Margot Robbie is nominated in Supporting Actress for her role as Queen Elizabeth I in Mary Queen of Scots. The film is also nominated for Costume Design and Make Up & Hair.
Also receiving acting nominations are Glenn Close (Leading Actress for The Wife), Viola Davis (Leading Actress for Widows), and Timothée Chalamet (Supporting Actor forBeautiful Boy).
McQueen is nominated for Outstanding British Film and Documentary. The other nominations in Outstanding British Film are You Were Never Really Here and Beast; the latter is also nominated for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer for Michael Pearce (Writer/Director) and Lauren Dark (Producer).
The other nominations for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer are: Daniel Kokotajlo (Writer/Director) for Apostasy; Chris Kelly (Writer/Director/Producer) for A Cambodian Spring; Leanne Welham (Writer/Director) and Sophie Harman (Producer) for Pili; and Richard Billingham (Writer/Director) and Jacqui Davies (Producer) for Ray & Liz.
Isle of Dogs is nominated for Original Music and Animated Film. Incredibles 2 and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse complete the nominations for Animated Film.
Capernaum, Dogman, and Shoplifters are the other nominations for Film Not in the English Language. Completing the list for the Documentary category are Free Solo, RBG, They Shall Not Grow Old and Three Identical Strangers.
If Beale Street Could Talk receives nominations for Adapted Screenplay and Original Music. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is nominated for Production Design and Special Visual Effects.
Six other feature films receive one nomination each: The Ballad of Buster Scruggs forCostume Design; A Quiet Place and Mission: Impossible – Fallout, both for Sound; and Avengers: Infinity War, Black Panther and Ready Player One, all for Special Visual Effects.
The British Short Animation nominees are I’m OK, Marfa and Roughhouse. The nominations for British Short Film are 73 Cows; Bachelor, 38; The Blue Door; The Fieldand Wale.
The nominees for the EE Rising Star Award announced last week are Barry Keoghan, Cynthia Erivo, Jessie Buckley, Lakeith Stanfield and Letitia Wright. The award is voted for by the British public and presented to an actress or actor who has demonstrated exceptional talent and has begun to capture the imagination of the UK public.
The nominations were announced by Hayley Squires and Will Poulter at BAFTA’s London headquarters, 195 Piccadilly.
The EE British Academy Film Awards take place on Sunday 10 February at the Royal Albert Hall, London. The ceremony will be hosted by Joanna Lumley and will be broadcast exclusively on BBC One and BBC One HD. The ceremony is also broadcast in all major territories around the world.
— NOMINATIONS LISTED BELOW —
Supporting documents and media:
Visit www.bafta.org/media-centre for all supporting documents including the full list of today’s nominations, photography, media accreditation, logos and more.
For further information please contact Freuds:
Alice Le Maistre
alice.lemaistre@freuds.com
+44 (0) 203 003 6300
—
THE NOMINATIONS
BEST FILM
BLACKkKLANSMAN Jason Blum, Spike Lee, Raymond Mansfield, Sean McKittrick, Jordan Peele
THE FAVOURITE Ceci Dempsey, Ed Guiney, Yorgos Lanthimos, Lee Magiday
GREEN BOOK Jim Burke, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly, Nick Vallelonga, Charles B. Wessler
ROMA Alfonso Cuarón, Gabriela Rodríguez
A STAR IS BORN Bradley Cooper, Bill Gerber, Lynette Howell Taylor
OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
BEAST Michael Pearce, Kristian Brodie, Lauren Dark, Ivana MacKinnon
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY Bryan Singer, Graham King, Anthony McCarten
THE FAVOURITE Yorgos Lanthimos, Ceci Dempsey, Ed Guiney, Lee Magiday, Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara
McQUEEN Ian Bonhôte, Peter Ettedgui, Andee Ryder, Nick Taussig
STAN & OLLIE Jon S. Baird, Faye Ward, Jeff Pope
YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE Lynne Ramsay, Rosa Attab, Pascal Caucheteux, James Wilson
OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
APOSTASY Daniel Kokotajlo (Writer/Director)
BEAST Michael Pearce (Writer/Director), Lauren Dark (Producer)
A CAMBODIAN SPRING Chris Kelly (Writer/Director/Producer)
PILI Leanne Welham (Writer/Director), Sophie Harman (Producer)
RAY & LIZ Richard Billingham (Writer/Director), Jacqui Davies (Producer)
FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
CAPERNAUM Nadine Labaki, Khaled Mouzanar
COLD WAR Paweł Pawlikowski, Tanya Seghatchian, Ewa Puszczyńska
DOGMAN Matteo Garrone
ROMA Alfonso Cuarón, Gabriela Rodríguez
SHOPLIFTERS Hirokazu Kore-eda, Kaoru Matsuzaki
DOCUMENTARY
FREE SOLO Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin
McQUEEN Ian Bonhôte, Peter Ettedgui
RBG Julie Cohen, Betsy West
THEY SHALL NOT GROW OLD Peter Jackson
THREE IDENTICAL STRANGERS Tim Wardle, Grace Hughes-Hallett, Becky Read
ANIMATED FILM
INCREDIBLES 2 Brad Bird, John Walker
ISLE OF DOGS Wes Anderson, Jeremy Dawson
SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman, Phil Lord
DIRECTOR
BLACKkKLANSMAN Spike Lee
COLD WAR Paweł Pawlikowski
THE FAVOURITE Yorgos Lanthimos
ROMA Alfonso Cuarón
A STAR IS BORN Bradley Cooper
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
COLD WAR Janusz Głowacki, Paweł Pawlikowski
THE FAVOURITE Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara
GREEN BOOK Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly, Nick Vallelonga
ROMA Alfonso Cuarón
VICE Adam McKay
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
BLACKkKLANSMAN Spike Lee, David Rabinowitz, Charlie Wachtel, Kevin Willmott
CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME? Nicole Holofcener, Jeff Whitty
FIRST MAN Josh Singer
IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK Barry Jenkins
A STAR IS BORN Bradley Cooper, Will Fetters, Eric Roth
LEADING ACTRESS
GLENN CLOSE The Wife
LADY GAGA A Star Is Born
MELISSA McCARTHY Can You Ever Forgive Me?
OLIVIA COLMAN The Favourite
VIOLA DAVIS Widows
LEADING ACTOR
BRADLEY COOPER A Star Is Born
CHRISTIAN BALE Vice
RAMI MALEK Bohemian Rhapsody
STEVE COOGAN Stan & Ollie
VIGGO MORTENSEN Green Book
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
AMY ADAMS Vice
CLAIRE FOY First Man
EMMA STONE The Favourite
MARGOT ROBBIE Mary Queen of Scots
RACHEL WEISZ The Favourite
SUPPORTING ACTOR
ADAM DRIVER BlacKkKlansman
MAHERSHALA ALI Green Book
RICHARD E. GRANT Can You Ever Forgive Me?
SAM ROCKWELL Vice
TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET Beautiful Boy
ORIGINAL MUSIC
BLACKkKLANSMAN Terence Blanchard
IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK Nicholas Britell
ISLE OF DOGS Alexandre Desplat
MARY POPPINS RETURNS Marc Shaiman
A STAR IS BORN Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, Lukas NelsonCINEMATOGRAPHY
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY Newton Thomas Sigel
COLD WAR Łukasz Żal
THE FAVOURITE Robbie Ryan
FIRST MAN Linus Sandgren
ROMA Alfonso Cuarón

EDITING
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY John Ottman
THE FAVOURITE Yorgos Mavropsaridis
FIRST MAN Tom Cross
ROMA Alfonso Cuarón, Adam Gough
VICE Hank Corwin
PRODUCTION DESIGN
FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD Stuart Craig, Anna Pinnock
THE FAVOURITE Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton
FIRST MAN Nathan Crowley, Kathy Lucas
MARY POPPINS RETURNS John Myhre, Gordon Sim
ROMA Eugenio Caballero, Bárbara Enríquez
COSTUME DESIGN
THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS Mary Zophres
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY Julian Day
THE FAVOURITE Sandy Powell
MARY POPPINS RETURNS Sandy Powell
MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS Alexandra Byrne
MAKE UP & HAIR
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY Mark Coulier, Jan Sewell
THE FAVOURITE Nadia Stacey
MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS Jenny Shircore
STAN & OLLIE Mark Coulier, Jeremy Woodhead
VICE Nominees TBC
SOUND
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY John Casali, Tim Cavagin, Nina Hartstone, Paul Massey, John Warhurst
FIRST MAN Mary H. Ellis, Mildred Iatrou Morgan, Ai-Ling Lee, Frank A. Montaño, Jon Taylor
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FALLOUT Gilbert Lake, James H. Mather, Christopher Munro, Mike Prestwood Smith
A QUIET PLACE Erik Aadahl, Michael Barosky, Brandon Procter, Ethan Van der Ryn
A STAR IS BORN Steve Morrow, Alan Robert Murray, Jason Ruder, Tom Ozanich, Dean Zupancic
SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Kelly Port, Dan Sudick
BLACK PANTHER Geoffrey Baumann, Jesse James Chisholm, Craig Hammack, Dan Sudick
FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD Tim Burke, Andy Kind, Christian Manz, David Watkins
FIRST MAN Ian Hunter, Paul Lambert, Tristan Myles, J.D. Schwalm
READY PLAYER ONE Matthew E. Butler, Grady Cofer, Roger Guyett, David ShirkBRITISH SHORT ANIMATION
I’M OK Elizabeth Hobbs, Abigail Addison, Jelena Popović
MARFA Gary McLeod, Myles McLeod
ROUGHHOUSE Jonathan Hodgson, Richard Van Den Boom

BRITISH SHORT FILM
73 COWS Alex Lockwood
BACHELOR, 38 Angela Clarke
THE BLUE DOOR Ben Clark, Megan Pugh, Paul Taylor
THE FIELD Sandhya Suri, Balthazar de Ganay
WALE Barnaby Blackburn, Sophie Alexander, Catherine Slater, Edward Speleers
EE RISING STAR AWARD (voted for by the public)
BARRY KEOGHAN
CYNTHIA ERIVO
JESSIE BUCKLEY
LAKEITH STANFIELD
LETITIA WRIGHT
Category : Film
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05th Jan2019

Sochi International Film Festival and Awards 2018 (Film)

by timbaros
Sochi International Film Festival and Awards 2018
SIFFA-main-web-banner-eng-2

The 3rd Sochi International Film Festival and Awards took place from Dec. 11-16th, and it was a glamorous and glittering affair and showcased some amazing films, master classes and culminating in an awards show.

 
Held in the beautiful resort town of Sochi, Russia, right on the Black Sea and at the base of the Caucasus Mountains (and home of the 2014 Winter Olympics), the festival has grown from strength to strength and this year had it’s biggest year.
Close to 20 films were shown (including 14 of which were in competition for awards), 8 documentaries, and 19 shorts, with films from Russia and Britain as well Turkey, Lithuania, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Canada, Serbia and the U.S. The festival started with a lavish opening ceremony on the 11th and concluding with a glittering awards ceremony where various prizes were handed out (see list below). Prizes were given out not just for films but also to people who are instrumental in the promotion and advancement of film.
In addition to films, screenings of which were held in and around Sochi, there were excellent master classes (seminars) including a Q&A with Mohy Quandor, who shared his life and work in film. SIFFA founder and CEO Luba Balagova presented a class in how she wanted this year’s festival to be about cementing the British-Russian film relationship – she also created a majority led female Jury this year to decide on the awarding of SIFFA’s prestigious ‘Irida’ statuette. The Irida statuette was named after the Goddess of the Rainbow and divine messenger. Other highlights of the festival included  Russian film actress and legend Larissa Luzhina and Quandor’s star installation ceremony (which included them putting their hands in cement to be included inside Sochi’s Luxor Cinema walk of fame), and UK politician Elizabeth Jones giving her opinions on ‘How to improve the British-Russian relationship.’
 
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The Sochi International Film Festival and Awards was a huge, huge success and congratulations must go to Balagova and her hard working team, as well as to the members of the jury who had some hard decisions to make. FAB UK is proud to be one of the sponsors of the festival. Look for a photo pictorial to appear in the next few days.

Main Competition

Main Prize:

“Horizon”, director Tinatin Kajrishvili (2018, Georgia – Germany)

 Special Prize: 

“Clay Pit”, director Vera Glagoleva (2018, Russia)

 Special Jury Diploma:

“Exciting Life”, director Anna Yanovskaya (2018, Russia) — “For the extraordinary combination of genres”

 Best Film Director: 

“Strangers of Patience”, director Vladimir Alenikov (2018, Russia)

 Best Original Screenplay: 

“Love Possibly”, scriptwriters Michael Boccalini, Michael Coburn, Che Grant, Kew Lin (2018, United Kingdom)

Best Director of Photography: 

“Pilgrim”, DOP Svyatoslav Bulakovsky (2018, Russia)

 Vera Glgoleva Prize for the Best Debut:

“Deep Rivers”, director Vladimir Bitokov (2018, Russia)

 Best Actor:

“Exciting Life”, actor Alexey Yudnikov

Best Actress:

“Strangers of Patience”, actress Maja Szopa

 Best Production Designer:

“Horizon”, Production Designer Georgy (2018, Georgia – Germany)

 Best Music:

“Pilgrim”, composer Alexey Aigi

 Best Costume Designer:

“Kathrine of Sinai”, Costume Designers Annie Curtis-Jones; Margaret McMasters; Stanley McMasters (2018, United Kingdom)

Documentary Film Competition

Best Documentary:

“A Thousand Girls Like Me”, director Sarah Mani (2018, Afganistan-France) — for professionalism, bravery, objectivity and taking a principled stand on human rights and support of the international women’s movement

 Special Mention

“Sharkwater Extinction”, director Rob Stewart (2018, Canada) — for sending a clear message to humanity and for the author’s civilian act of bravery

Best Short Film:

“Black Mamba”, director Amel Guelatty (2018, Tunisia) 

Special Mention:

“Scream”, director Toma Stenko (2018, Russia-Georgia) — for cinematographic expressiveness, humanity and compassion in exploring the vicissitudes of human life

“Verka Fouettés”, director Inna Shcherban (2017, Russia-Spain) — awarded to actress Anna Nakhapetova for spirited flamenco dancing

SIFFA President’s Award

To Paulina Simacheva, Anna Nakhapetova and Vera Glagoleva for inspired approach to transcending the limitations of time with arts.

SIFFA / SIFFA President’s Diplomas:

-for Kandinsky Ocean – for visualizing poetry in film

-to producer Anastassia Razlogova for intrepidly seeking out new combinations of genres on the “other side of drama and non-drama films”
 
-to Susanna Alperina, the producer of “Into Nation of Big Odessa” (dir. Alexandr Brunkovskiy) – for the creative approach in thinking about the local and the global at once

Awards for Contribution to building bridges between countries and peoples:

YEŞIM GÜZELPINAR, producer, Turkey-United Kingdom

SIFFA Management Awards:

“The Greek of the Russian Empire“ directed by Svetlana Muzychenko — For preserving the cultural heritage and historical memory to producer Zlatina Filipova, film “Runaway Smartphone” – for creating and advancing films for childre

Special Press Awards:

goes to Kostadin Bonev – director of the feature film “Away from the Shore” – for discussing the theme that never goes away: balancing art and power goes to Igor Poplaukhin, director of the short “Calendar” – for highlighting a very topical issue – that of the right of the modern women to go beyond her daily chores goes to Svetlana Stasenko, director of documentary “SHAMANIC LESSONS FOR BEGINNERS” – for using simple language to discuss a mystery-filled topic and for showcasing the traditions of the peoples of the Russian Federation

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25th Dec2018

1985 (Film)

by timbaros
1985-a-2The year is 1985. AIDS had already started to rear its ugly head. It’s also the year that Adrian comes home for perhaps the last time.

‘1985’ is a tear-your-heart out little film about one New Yorkers journey back home to see his family at Christmas. Cory Michael Smith is just incredible as Adrian, a young man going back home to Texas after a three year absence to see his father, mother and little brother. But it’s really not a festive time for him – for all the lies and deceits that Adrian tells his family – that his life in New York is just amazing, with a good job and great friends, all this could be further from the truth. Adrian’s friends back in NYC are all dying or dead – including his partner. Adrian has been to six funerals in that year alone, and he faces the grim fact that he is not immune to the disease that has slowly crept up on gay men like himself. With a doting mother who takes care of all his needs while he is at home (a graceful and saintly Virginia Madsen), a tough religious father who lives his life by the bible (Michael Chiklis), and a soft younger brother who is into theatre (Aidan Langford), it’s up to Adrian to secretly say goodbye to everyone (including his best friend Carly, played by the wonderful Jamie Chung).

Directed and co-written by Yen Tan, ‘1985’ is a small film that packs quite a punch. It’s one hour and 25 minutes that will hold your attention throughout, with gripping performances, and an equally stunning soundtrack, and will have you reaching for the tissue box many times. Reminiscent of Xavier Dolan’s ‘It’s Only the End of the World’ (where a terminally ill writer (assumed sick with AIDS) returns home to tell his family he is dying), ‘1985’ is a much much better film. With a perfect cast, including Madsen who is just simply amazing, as well as Chung, ‘1985’ is a great film in every sense of the word, and excellently captures that time in 1985 when President Ronald Regan had yet to utter the ‘AIDS’ word and when hundreds of young men were dying and there was no treatment available, nothing could be done for them. Tan, along with the cast and crew, in a film beautifully shot in black and while (by Hutch, who also co-wrote the film), have pulled off quite an achievement with this film. Every gay man under 50 really needs to watch this film to understand what gay men over 50 were dealing with in the 1980’s and early 1990’s. 
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29th Nov2018

Briefs (Theatre)

by timbaros

ACF-11Jun-BriefsCE-credit-Kate-Pardey-123The Briefs boys are back and they’re being extra naughty!

You know the boys – they are the burlesque troupe from Australia who, annually, bring us fun, frolics, and huge loads – of sexiness – to the Underbelly tent in the Southbank every summer season. Well this year they’re giving us a extra dose of themselves – they are putting on their act in Leicester Square!
 
Headlining two shows in the Leicester Square Spiegeltent (the first show at 7:30 and a second at 10:15), ‘Briefs: Close Encounters’ take us into outer space with the sexy guys who wear all sorts of space attire (and luckily for the audience the attire comes off!) in a show that can be described as too sexy for space! The cast, and pretty much the show, is very similar to their show at Underbelly – but the space theme is a twist in the right direction! The Briefs boys, led by fabulous emcee Fez Fa’anana, includes one of Australia’s leading circus showmen Captain Kidd; acrobat and clownish time-hopping rabbit Dale Woodbridge-Brown; superstar aerialist Thomas Worrell, defying gravity and tying himself in knots above the crowd; and the youngest member of Briefs, the loveable rogue and boy wonder Louis Biggs, as well as performance artist Harry Clayton-Wright. They perform their circus skills, raucous comedy, and display their unique disrobing skills for the audience to enjoy. But stop press – the 10:15 p.m. show is even more racier, more raucous, with more genitalia on display, and isn’t that what the world needs now? And after the 10:15 p.m. show the tent becomes a disco where you can dance and boogie with the stars of the show! Having attended both shows last week, and then stayed on for the disco, we had an excellent time. With this, we are definitely buying tickets for their New Years Eve Extravaganza, which will be the place to be in London. It will be guaranteed trash, disco, glamour and nudity! 
For times and prices of the show, please see below.
‘Briefs: Close Encounters’ is an encounter I want to experience again and again!
BRIEFS: CLOSE ENCOUNTERS – The world’s hottest all-male boylesque group will grab Christmas by the baubles in their dazzling new show 
Times:   7.30pm Wednesday – Sunday (additional performance Tuesday 18th December)
Matinees 3pm Saturday (except 22nd December)
Running Time:                                   100 mins – including interval
Age:                                                       Recommended 16+
 
Ticket Prices:                                    
Preview pricing:
Friday 9 November –  Sunday 11 November inclusive – stalls: £20, posh seats: £25, booths: £150.
 
CLUB BRIEFS – X-rated 
Times:                                                  Fridays and Saturdays: 10.15pm
Running Time:                                   90 mins 
Age:                                                       Strictly 18+
Tickets:                                                From £23.50p.  
Press Night: Wednesday 14 November 2018 at 7.30pm
 
CLUB BRIEFS: NYE EXTRAVAGANZA!Suggested dress code: EXTRAVAGANCE. 
Date:               Monday 31 December 2018
Time:                                    10pm – 2.15am
Running Time:                   240 mins
Age:                                       Strictly 18+
Ticket Prices:     Stalls £41.50/ Posh Seats £61.50/ Private Booth £301.50
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23rd Sep2018

Reinventing Marvin (Film)

by timbaros

Finnegan OldfieldTouching performances make this film about the troubled life of a young gay man In the new film ‘Reinventing Marvin’ a must see.

Newcomer Finnegan Oldfield plays Marvin as a young man (while Jules Porier plays Marvin in his younger years). As a child, he lived a very dysfunctional, and depressing life. Marvin was bullied and beat up at school, constantly taunted for his soft mannerisms (and also for appearing to be gay), and even worse at home where he had a volatile stepfather, slept in a closet, and had a mother who was supportive yet unable to provide him with what he needed most.

Reinventing Marvin cleverly uses flashbacks that takes the story from his childhood to him discovering a new life in Paris where he truly discovers who he is. He meets people just like himself there, befriends an older gay couple who provide him support that he never got. And finally, he is introduced to Isabelle Huppert (playing herself), who helps him to tell his life story on stage, which changes Marvin’s life, and perhaps will bring some sort of reconciliation with his family, and hopefully, finally, acceptance.

Marvin reinvents himself, and it’s nice to see the transformation, and Director and writer Anne Fountaine (The Innocents), has crafted a beautifully told and acted story with great performances.

Now playing at the cinemas and available to order.

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12th Aug2018

The Negotiator (Film)

by timbaros
Beirut.Day3.Sc57.©Sife.Elamine-1418.CR2

Beirut.Day3.Sc57.©Sife.Elamine-1418.CR2

Jon Hamm and Rosamund Pike star as CIA agents in the thriller ‘The Negiotator’ (a/k/a Beirut), in cinemas and on digital HD from August 10th. 

In 1972, former U.S. diplomat, Mason Skiles (Jon Hamm), was caught up in a terrorist attack that changed his life forever. While throwing a party for the local elite in Beirut, the son Karim (Yoav Sadian Rosenberg) he and his wife Nadia (Leila Bekhti) had adopted was taken. It turned out that Karim had an older brother who happened to be a notorious Palestinian terrorist who wanted to be reunited with him.
 
10 years later, while working as a mediator in Boston, Skiles receives an unwanted invitation to go back to Beirut. Quickly dragged back into the system he hastily left, Mason is assigned a mission by CIA Agent Donald Gaines (Dean Norris) of negotiating a swap with a terrorist group: a kidnapped American CIA agent for a terrorist leader. But when obligated to cooperate, Skiles is assigned a cultural attaché (Rosamund Pike) to help navigate the city. Unravelling clues and uncovering political agendas along the way, the duo discover that relationships between America, Palestine and Israel may be more complex, and corrupt, than first thought. And the masterminds behind this kidnapping happen to the adopted son and his older brother. This all takes place in the backdrop of war-torn 1982 Beirut. 
 
From the writer of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and The Bourne Identity, ‘The Negiotator’ is a suspenseful drama with great acting and action sequences. Hamm might have found a new movie career after Mad Men in this role. Pike is in fine form but takes a back seat to Hamm and the other actors. ‘The Negiotator’, at 1 hour and 49 minutes, ticks by quickly and provides lots of suspense in an ‘Argo’ and ‘Jason Bourne’ – like style drama.
Category : Film
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